Brassiere



E. MILLER Feb. 9, 1937.

BRASSIERE ;2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Aug. 20, 1936 (Ittomeg E. vMILLER Feb. 9, 1937.

BRASSIERE 2 Sheets-Shee 2 Filed Aug. 20, 1936 Elinor [Ville/r Patented Feb. 9, 1937 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 7 Claims.

The present invention relates to brassieres, and has for an object to provide a brassiere for use where a bust or breast operation has been performed and a breast has been removed.

Another object of the invention is to provide a brassiere with a dummy or artificial breast capable of adaptation as to size and which is detachably and effectively held in the brassiere not only in the body portion thereof but also directly from the shoulder strap for quick and easy removal.

A further object is to provide a brassiere of general conventional shape and construction and which has the artificial pad so disposed therein that it is observable only upon the closest scrutiny.

Another object of the invention is to provide a brassiere with the usual breast pockets or supports and with lower marginal strips which not only reinforce the pockets but which provide flanges or seats for the lower marginal edge portions of the dummy pads to center and hold the same in correct position and wherein the pads may be interchangeable for use in either or both sides of the brassiere, the pads having strap engaging extensions for detachable securement to the inner sides of the shoulder straps of the garment.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, the invention will be more fully described hereinafter, and will be more particularly pointed out in the claims appended hereto.

In the drawings, wherein like symbols refer to like or corresponding parts throughout the several views,

Figure 1 is a rear side perspective view of a brassiere embodying the features of the present invention.

Figure 2 is a transverse section taken through the garment near the top thereof.

Figure 3 is a detail side elevation of the dummy pad used with the top portion turned down in solid lines, the dotted lines showing its position when in the garment.

Figure 4 is a rear side perspective View, partly broken away, of a modified form of this in- Vention.

Figure 5 is an enlarged section taken on the line 5-5 of Fig. 4.

Figure 6 is a section taken on the lines 66 of Fig. 5.

Figure 7 is a detail side elevation of the dummy pad used in the modified form of the invention.

Referring to the drawings, the brassire comprises a back composed of the two side portions [0 and II interconnected by a central back portion I2 of elastic material or the like.

The front of the garment is composed of a bottom section E3 of substantially inverted T- shape the opposite upper edges of Which are curved to the configuration of the lower portions of the breast pockets I4 which are stitched or otherwise secured to the bottom section l3 and extend upwardly therefrom. Top front sections 10 straps l6 of suitable length and which may have 15 elastic inserts I! if desired. The garment may have an opening at one side or edge detachably closed by the fasteners l8 to admit the ready positioning and removal of the garment.

The pockets [4 are made of the full size of the normal bust, and the garment may be used in the conventional way. To reinforce the pockets I 4 at their lower edges and provide an additional support for the bust strips iii are secured to the bottom edges of the pockets at their inner sides and extend from the top of the front central section I3 to the opposite sides or edges of the garment. These strips I 9 are made from any suitable material, and may, if desired, be of open mesh construction. strips l 9 extend upwardly from their lower edges of attachment and overlap the pockets I 4 and provide a, retaining or seating flange or strip for each pocket.

The 30 Within either or both pockets I 4 may be placed 35 removable and adjustable dummy pads or artificial breasts 20. The body portion of the pad 20 is in the form of an envelope or pouch the side walls of which have the desired fullness which has an opening 2| along its top edge for 40 the introduction and removal of a packing 22 for adjusting the size of the pad 20 and for renewing the packing and cleaning the envelope itself. The opening 2| may be closed by one or more separable fasteners 23 to hold the packing 5 in place and provide a neat and finished upper edge for the pad.

The pad 20 fits in a pocket l4 behind the strip l9 and the strip l9 has its opposite ends secured at 24 to the body portion of the garment to hold 50 the pad 20 from shifting out of place. The pad 20 has a shoulder extension 25 at its upper outer corner adapted to lie against the inner side of the adjacent shoulder strap iii of the garment.

A separable fastener 26 has its parts secured to 55 the shoulder strap Hi and the extension 25 of the pad to facilitate the quick removal and replacement of the pad 20 and to hold the same in the pocket It, the pad being supported partly by suspension directly from the shoulder strap it.

When the fastener 26 is separated the pad 20 may be conveniently lifted out of the pocket It and from behind the retaining strip I9 at the bottom of the pocket. The filling 22 of the pad may be disposed as desired to round out the pad to the form of the breast which is removed and to thus properly balance the bust.

The garment is preferably made with the strips 59 on both pockets so that but one construction of garment is required in stock. The pads 28 are reversible so that they may be fitted to the right or left pockets IQ. Of course a pair of the pads 29 may be used, one for each pocket, when the garment is intended only for partially building up the bust. The envelope of the pad 20 may be :of silk or other desired material, the filling 22 -may be of cotton or other suitable material and may be replaced or cleansed with ease, and any desired number of snap fasteners or the like may be used .to hold the pad 28 in place in the garment. The pad 29 extends in a general vertical direction, and its upper end is reduced in width to provide the strap portion 25 so that the pad as a Whole conforms to the structure of the front side of the garment and, when in position, becomes a part thereof and is supported and held in place by the structural parts of the body of the garment. A desirable feature of the pad mounting is that the pad is readily removable, interchangeable and may be used singly in either side of the garment and may be used as a pair and be filled out and proportioned to simulate busts of different sizes.

The novel construction of the pad 2% adapts it to take the place of a breast removed by operation and to fill in the brassiere entirely about the .z'one of the operation, extending partly and tapering into the shoulder strap l6 of the brassiere.

The brassire itself has the front bottom section l3 which is continuous from side to side and extends beneath the pockets Hi to contract the body beneath the bust and hold all parts in the desired raised position. This section l3 also provides a firm support for the ledge strip l9 so that the pad 20, behind the strip i9, is securely held from working down during use.

The front top sections l5 provide continuations of the pockets Hi and are restricted at their lateral edges to closely fit the body near the arms and shoulders, and the pads 28 extend laterally, as shown in Figure 3, to conform to the sections 15 and build up the body at the side of the garment. The result is a very strongly constructed brassiere which is close fitting and which holds the bust firmly in place and supplies the pads or filling at all points where the natural body is lacking.

In Figs. 4 to 7 inclusive there is disclosed a modified form of this invention, in which the front sections I5 are provided with pockets l4 formed by means of a porous or perforate strip l9, and at the beginning of each shoulder strap l6 there is provided an upper pocket 2! having a porous or perforate inner wall 28 in which is received the reduced and padded upper end portion 29 of a pad 20' which is constructed similar to the pad 20 with the exception of the reduced padded end portion 29. Thepocket 2'! is of such construction as to frictionally hold the reduced end portion 29 therein, and in order to attain this purpose the wall 28 may if desired be made yieldable.

It is obvious that various changes and modifications may be made in the details of construc- 5 tion along the lower portions of the pockets and 15 extending upwardly thereof, and a removable pad fitting in one of said pockets behind said ledge strip and having a reduced strap portion at its outer corner extending upwardly and engaging against the inner side of the adjacent 20 shoulder strap, and means for detachably securing the pad in place.

2. A brassiere, comprising a body portion having front and back portions and shoulder straps therefor, said front portion having an inverted 25 T-shape bottom section therein with breast pockets secured in the opposite sides of the T-shape section, ledge strips secured to the opposite sides of the T-shape section and extending upwardly at the inner sides of the pockets, 30

a pad removably fitting in one of said pockets and having a filling therein to hold the pocket distended and having a reduced upwardly strap portion engaging against the inner side of the adjacent shoulder strap, and a separable fastener 30 between the'shoulder strap and said strap portion of the pad to hold the pad upright and from shifting in the pocket and with the lower portion of the pad behind the ledge strip.

3. A brassiere having a front lower band por- 40 tion with an intermediate upwardly extending part, breast pockets secured at their lower and inner edges along the band portion and intermediate part thereof, lateral edge sections secured along the lateral and upper edges of the 45 pockets and providing continuation of the same and extending upwardly to provide shoulder straps for the brassire, ledge strip secured along the lower and inner edges of the pockets and extending upwardly at the inner sides thereof, and

a pad removably seated in one of said pockets behind the ledge strip thereof and being coextensive with the pocket and the adjacent lateral edge sections, said pad having a reduced strap portion extending upwardly from the outer part -ss of the pad against the adjacent shoulder strap, and detachable holding means between the strap portion of the pad and the shoulder strap to admit the ready removal of the pad.

4. A brassire having a front portion with a,

lower band therein and the band having an upwardly converging central portion, breast pockets secured to the band along the upper and lateral edges of the band and the central portion thereof and extending upwardly and outwardly cg therefrom, ledge strips also secured along the upperand lateral edges of the'band and central portion thereof and disposed at the inner sides of the pockets, shoulder strap sections secured along the outer edges of the pockets and provid- 7 ing continuation thereof and extending thereabove to support the brassiere, a filler pad removably seated in one of said pockets behind the ledge strip thereof and having at its outer portion an upwardly extending strap part lying against the inner side of the adjacent shoulder strap, and a detachable fastener for holding said strap part to the shoulder strap.

5. A brassire, comprising a back having a central elastic section and lateral inelastic sections with shoulder straps at their upper ends, a front having a bottom band strip with a central vertical portion tapering upwardly from the band strip and providing lateral curved edges therefor, pockets secured to the said lateral curved edges of the band strip and extending upwardly therefrom, ledge strips secured at the inner sides of the pockets along said lateral curved edges of the band strip, top sections secured to the outer edges of the pockets and providing continuations thereof and having reduced outer edge portions to conform to the body of the wearer, said top sections having shoulder straps connected to the shoulder strap of the back section to cooperate therewith and support the brassiere, and a dummy pad seated in one of said pockets behind the ledge strip thereof and extending throughout the pocket and across the inner side of the adjacent front top section to round out the bust of the wearer, said pad comprising an envelope having an opening at the edge thereof and a filling removably disposed in the envelope, said pad having a strap extension at its upper outer part disposed against the inner side of the adjacent front top section and the shoulder strap thereof, and releasable holding means between the strap extension and said shoulder strap of the top section.

6. A brassiere having a front section comprising a bottom horizontal band with a vertical central portion flaring downwardly into the upper edge of the band adapted to fit snugly beneath and between the breasts, breast pockets having upstanding ledge strips at their lower edges and at their inner sides secured along said lower edges to the band at opposite sides of the vertical central portion, top sections secured along the outer edges of the pockets and conforming in contour thereto and being constricted at their outer edge portions to fit the body of the wearer and having shoulder straps at their upper ends to support the brassiere, a filler pad seated in one of the pockets behind the ledge strip thereof and being coextensive with the pocket and its adjacent top section, said pad comprising an envelope detachably mounted in the pocket and having a strap extension detachably secured to the inner side of the shoulder strap of said adjacent top section, and a removable and adjustable filling in the envelope for rounding out the pad in conformity with the bust of the wearer.

'7. A brassire, comprising a body portion having breast pockets and shoulder straps, ledge strips secured on the inner side of the body portion along the lower portions of the pockets and extending upwardly thereof, and a removable pad fitting in one of said pockets behind said ledge strip and having a reduced padded strap portion at its outer corner extending upwardly along an adjacent shoulder strap, said shoulder straps having pockets opening downwardly to receive the reduced padded strap portion of the pad whereby to detachably secure the pad in place.

ELINOR MILLER. 

